Dreams
by Maya Beebop
Summary: When a girl is turned into a Heartless, she'll battle the entire universe to retrieve her lost memory and be free once again.
1. Chapter 1

My dreams have all been the same lately.  
  
I'm falling, upside-down, from the sky. A huge lightning bolt cracks and slams through my body. The impact sets me on an angle and I fall into the ocean below. Flipping again, I touch ground and feel the water whirl around me. Out of the shadows, someone grabs my hand and pulls me around.  
  
Diko stands, softly smiling. I try to smile back, but a vacuum has started up and is sucking me away into the depths. Suddenly the water retreats and I'm on the beach, looking at a figure falling from the sky. I realize I'm watching myself.  
  
Two views at once.  
  
I hit water again and swim to shore. I struggle out and turn to watch a huge wave rise behind a strange boy with long, white, spiky hair. I blink in surprise and the boy is replaced by Diko. His body is facing the rising water, but he turns his head excitedly to see me.  
  
I try to run to him. I grasp his hand just as the wave crashes on both of us. Water and bubbles whirl around us and suddenly, I break through the surface and see him standing on the beach. He looks at me sadly. I call out, but he's breaking away and I'm taken by water again.  
  
Then darkness.  
  
And I wake up.  
  
***  
  
The sunlight woke me up that morning. I wince and open my eyes slowly. The window is open. I stretch and sit up. I notice my white shorts are askew. Looking in my full-length mirror, I fix my outfit.  
  
Straightening my red tank top and silver chain, I tie up my long, brown, spiky hair and throw on my hand gauntlets. They're made from black cloth and weak metal and don't serve much use, but I love the look of them. They shine in the sunlight and make me look like a warrior.  
  
My armband goes on next. It's white and is wrapped around my left upper arm. Then my big, metal-studded belt. Finally, I'm done. One more look into the mirror. Purple eyes staring into purple eyes.  
  
I shove aside the flap that acts as a door and admire my beach. It's ringed with plants and trees and flowers. A small waterfall nearby gurgles happily as the stream flows over rocks, around boulders, and into the ocean.  
  
Diko stands knee-high in the water, staring out to sea. His black hair is cut boyishly, short and close-cropped to his head in back and spiked in front. He loves to wear green, and his calf-length grass-colored pants are no exception. He also wears a yellow sleeveless with two strange straps over his shoulders.  
  
He turns and notices me. His green eyes laugh as he reaches out a hand for me. I run, grinning to him.  
  
"Race you out to the Pier?" he asks.  
  
"You're on!" I tell him. We start running to a dock, off which we jump and start swimming to a small island out of the bay that we call the Pier. Scrambling up the slippery rocks, we sit on a log and watch the clouds drift by.  
  
"Diko, do you ever want to.you know.get out of here? Leave the island?" I ask him.  
  
"I guess. To visit, of course. But Riverfall Island has always been my home. I love it. Don't you love knowing everything about it? Where the prettiest flowers grow? Where the secret caves are?" he answers.  
  
I nod. "I guess. But not knowing's half the fun. Remember the time that crate washed up on the shore and it said 'Daragon Forest'? No one had any idea what that meant. We still don't. And we opened it to find all that cool cloth? It changed color depending on what background it was on. I have a cloak made out of it because I was the one who found it."  
  
He sighs. "I'll never be able to win this argument against you."  
  
I laugh quietly. He was right. We've had this discussion a million times before and he always ended up losing. I know he wants to see other sights. But there's no way we can.  
  
"What if we bought tickets on the supply ship?" I suggest.  
  
"You know we can't do that. And it's not a supply ship. It's old Todge's skipper. He built himself a small boat and he keeps thinking that he can find another place on this ball of water. There's no room for us on that boat."  
  
This time it was my turn to sigh.  
  
"You could at least work with me here."  
  
"The way I see it, there's only one way off this island." This surprises me. Usually, he doesn't offer any suggestions.  
  
"If some kind of door opens and we walk through it. And that's about as unlikely as.I dunno. A giant mouse coming up to us on a cold day in August and saying 'How d'you do?'"  
  
I sigh again. There he goes with his ridiculous comparisons.  
  
"Do you want to try the Wind Waker again?" I ask him.  
  
"Do you mean that plane? Cause if you do, then no. It was a bad idea in the first place."  
  
"You helped design it."  
  
"That was then." He stands up and walks to the edge of the small island. The sun is setting against the open sea and his silhouette is black against the orange and yellow and red.  
  
"I guess I'm just too used to this place to want anything else. Isn't that terrible? I'm barely sixteen and I'm already settled into life."  
  
I sit, staring at my knees.  
  
"Can you promise me something?" he asks.  
  
I look up into his green eyes. They seemed so comforting, so homey. I feel so secure looking into them.  
  
"I couldn't bear it if you ever become so content with life that you stop trying to get away. Never change, Kiru."  
  
I nod at my name. But there's nothing to say to him. 


	2. Chapter 2

That night, I lie awake in my bed. I can't stop thinking about what Diko had asked me to do.  
  
Never change.?  
  
What did he mean by that? Did that mean that he took comfort in my being so stubborn and set on seeing other places? Or did it simply mean that he was so set into life that if I changed, it would set him off? I can't decide.  
  
The sky is so clear tonight. I want to climb onto the roof and watch the stars. I open my window and set my feet on the sill. Wedging my feet on the stones on the outside of my hut, I scramble onto the roof. I lie on the leaves covering the wooden slats and stared at the sky.  
  
A crack of lightning shoots through the sky. I curse the weather and wait for thunder. But none comes. I watch and smell the air. No moisture. It was just heat lightning.  
  
Thank goodness. I lie back and try to watch the bolts that streak across the sky. They seemed to come closer with each flash of light. Suddenly, one hits the roof!  
  
The crack shoots through me and I lie, spellbound, and can only watch the sky as if in slow motion. A single bolt comes down and hits me square in the chest.  
  
Smoldering, I lie on the roof. The storm passes in time, and night turns to dawn. I can't say anything.  
  
Thoughts run through my head like molasses.  
  
Diko.calling for me.  
  
The others.they're yelling too.  
  
Can't anyone see me?  
  
Finally, a face appears in my line of vision. Diko has found me by a single, singed sneaker hanging off the roof by a shoelace. He carries me down to my bed and sits with me through the day. Eventually, I regain the power of speech.  
  
"What happened, Kiru?!" he asks me when I finally moan in pain.  
  
"H-heat lightning. Storm last night. Hit me in the chest. Oh god, it hurts!" I explain.  
  
"Careful.careful," he mutters as he lifts the wrap some girl must've put on me while I slept. At least, I pray it had been a girl. I realize I'm just wearing a sports top on my torso.  
  
I lift my head a bit to see the damage. Not only did the lightning leave a mark, but Diko has to go and describe it.  
  
"Bizarre! It kind of looks like a heart made of lightning," he exclaims. I think so, too.  
  
He flips me over carefully and examines my back. "It's back here, too. Creepy. Same spot, too. Right in the middle of your upper back." I decide to take his word for it. They really sting.  
  
He turns me back over and sighs.  
  
"Kiru, I won't say anything right now. But I think I've found us a way off the island.  
  
My eyes widen as I try to sit up. 'Tell me! Tell me now!" I demand.  
  
He gently shoves me back down and shakes his head. "Kiru, I don't think-."  
  
"Tell me now or you had better make sure you're far away when I get out of this bed," I interrupt.  
  
Diko exhales. "Alright.  
  
"There's this group of people called the Masters of the Worlds who can open a portal and get us to another world. They came to me in a dream last night, and I think they're real. They seemed that way.  
  
"I told them to give me one day to think about it. They agreed. Kiru, if we take them up, we'll get to see other worlds. But we'll sometimes have to do 'errands' for them. I asked them what type, but they remained firm on the fact that we don't have to know in advance. 'Worthwhile ones', they said. What do you think?"  
  
I tell him he didn't need to ask me for my opinion. Just say yes!  
  
He smiles and stands.  
  
"Sweet dreams, Kiru. I'll dream about you tonight."  
  
I nod. "And hopefully, I'll dream of you."  
  
***  
  
As I sleep, my wounds stop hurting. They remain, and will the rest of my life. But as long as they don't hurt, I can live with them.  
  
This morning, Diko appears with a huge grin. He pulls me out onto the beach and grabs my hands in his.  
  
"I had given up, Kiru! I had myself convinced that we'd never be free, and here we are! We're going to leave tonight! The gateway will open on the beach and we have to be there at sunset to go through."  
  
I can only grin all day as I ready myself. My black sneakers, sleeveless, red shirt, white shorts, gauntlets, white armband, belt and all the rest of it goes on. A half-hour before sunset, I join Diko on the beach.  
  
We stand and watched a small boat, that we had built as children, bob in the water. The sun begins to set.  
  
"Diko, I know I never really told you, but-." I begin.  
  
"Look!" he calls.  
  
A huge ripple has appeared in the air above the ocean about fifty yards out to sea. A circle of blue light has appeared, and in it are all the colors of the rainbow and more. It keeps twisting and contorting, and around it are small wisps of light blue energy.  
  
"Come on, Diko!" I call as I start running out to sea. He starts behind me, laughing, and then stops. I'm already up to my knees in water, and I turn back to see him, standing on the beach.  
  
"Diko?" I call.  
  
He doesn't say anything.  
  
"What's the matter?"  
  
He only points at the portal. I turn to see the sky darken into sunset and the portal turn an evil black. The wisps of energy turn into crackling purple electricity.  
  
I gasp and try to start back. But a suction has a hold on me and starts pulling me toward the darkness. I cry out, and Diko runs to the water's edge. He has his hand out, trying to reach for me. But he doesn't come closer.  
  
I realize that if he comes any nearer, he'll get sucked in. I don't yell out anymore. He understands. I just fight, pleading with my eyes. He watches my face, sad and desperate. Diko wants to help, but he can't. He just waits.in defeat.  
  
My feet are enveloped in strands of darkness protruding from the portal. The strands slither up my body, up my torso, and grab onto my arms, pulling them back. I make one last attempt to break free, and the darkness takes me. 


	3. Chapter 3

I'm falling through a place that glows black and red and purple.  
  
I feel a huge jerk throughout my body, as if someone is trying to pull me from the inside out.  
  
Something is torn out of me, and I see nothing. I exist, but do not know.  
  
A voice enters me. It fills my entirety, and I am it. It speaks words to me, words that I don't hear.  
  
Suddenly, I can see. I'm standing in front of a huge black castle, far bigger than I've ever seen or imagined before. I hear the voice within me speak, but the sounds are merely vibrations. I realize what to do without hearing.  
  
Entering and pushing back both doors with one hand each, I walk into the center of the room, where a bodysuit and armor sits.  
  
Stepping into the red bodysuit, I strap on the black breastplate and examine it. The red-lightning-bolt outline of a heart is painted on. The red-painted metal mouth-and-nose cover is tied on next. A pair of black boots fits me perfectly. I attach the black metal shin and arm guards and finally the gauntlets. They're made of strong metal and are colored black.  
  
A sword sits nearby on a stand. It resembles some sort of exotic wing of a leathery animal. It is black and red and I pick it up. I swing it around and bit and accidentally cleave the table in half with it.  
  
My old clothes, I notice, are gone. These, I conclude, are mine to keep.  
  
I step out and immediately think of a place with brightly lit signs and people strolling the streets. I am instantly there. A sign nearby states that this place is called Traverse Town. People walk by, occasionally nodding in acknowledgement.  
  
For a moment, I remember(?) a boy with spiky, black hair and green eyes. His sad face lingers in my mind. Then, it's gone, and I'm free to do as I see fit.  
  
I walk around the town, suddenly realizing that I'm not me. Somehow, someone else is in me! Or.am I somewhere else?  
  
A live of verse drifts through my mind.  
  
You can exist without a soul.  
  
But you cannot exist as one.  
  
I stop as I see a strange boy pass by me. He looks about 14, and he sports.a giant key?!  
  
Keyblade.  
  
Attack and take it.  
  
Steal his heart.  
  
The voice within me commands me to take on this boy. I raise my sword, and he notices me.  
  
"W-who are you?" he asks.  
  
"That is none of your concern. Now.hand over the Keyblade." I strike my fighting pose, not even aware that I had one.  
  
"No! Sora, you can't attack her!"  
  
A new voice. We both turn to see a tall mad clad in leather. His long brown hair and deep countenance make him seem so wise. Accompanying him is a girl with short hair and a neo-ninja outfit.  
  
"Sora, she isn't a Heartless. She's being controlled!" the girl claims.  
  
"What?" The boy, obviously Sora, looks confused.  
  
The man spoke. "It happens when a heart is deemed useful and strong enough to use to fight. Her soul must've been sucked from her body. She's now being used. But in there is a regular girl who's probably very confused and scared. And hurt."  
  
Sora puts down his sword. "What do we do?"  
  
The man looks at me. "Now.we leave it to me. I wake her up the way I woke you up, Sora."  
  
I'm confused, but the emotion is quickly deleted from me, as if someone didn't want me to feel it. I slash my sword at him, and we lock blades. What followed was a good ten minutes of brawling. Equal strengths, equal skills. We kept at it. Finally, he pulls a cheap move and while our swords are trying to overpower each other, he reaches over and punches me in the chest.  
  
My wound from the lightning explodes in pain, and I double over. I look up through hazed eyes to see him, standing over me. The world turns fuzzy, and I fall over. 


	4. Chapter 4

I awake again, slowly. The world is still fuzzy, and I see through a haze. A face over me. The short hair reminds me of a boy I once knew.at least, I think I knew. The dark hair and big eyes are so comforting.  
  
"Her eyes are opening. I think she's awake."  
  
The voice is so loud in the silence. I wince as the noise increases.  
  
"Good. She'll be open to whatever we say for a few minutes before the Heartless notice she's awake again and take her over again. Let's make what we say count." The voice comes from the man who beat me.  
  
The girl leans over me, invading my eyesight. "We're only trying to help you. You're not a Heartless, but you're not human anymore. They're trying to keep you from the truth, and we're going to try to save you."  
  
I try to lean up. She pushes me back down.  
  
"Your armor won't come off. They have a strong hold on you. In fact, I think they took your soul. Isn't that right, Squall?"  
  
She looks over to the man who is now leaning against the wall. I realize I'm in a hotel room on a bed.  
  
"They did take her soul. But you can exist without one. Mind you, it isn't easy to be good without one, but it's possible. Theoretically speaking. No one's been strong enough to do it yet."  
  
I have no idea what he's saying. Haven't I been following orders in exchange for freedom? But.now I'm drawing a blank. What was I free from? Where had I been taken from to come here?  
  
I have blurry memories of endless water. Green all around me. And two grass green eyes looking into mine.  
  
I come out of my thoughts and again try to get up. No one stops me this time. I sit up on the bed, but become dizzy. I grip the sheets to steady myself.  
  
"Who.who are you?" I ask. I feel sick.  
  
The girl speaks. "I'm Yuffie the ninja. That over there is Squall, and-."  
  
"Leon. My name is Leon, Yuffie," the man interrupts.  
  
"Fine then. Leon. And that over there is Sora."  
  
I try to see them all. But it's so hard.  
  
"You said something about 'Heartless'?" I ask.  
  
"Yes. They're horrible creatures that work under a group of people who want to rule the worlds. The group is called the Masters of the Worlds."  
  
Suddenly I have a horrible feeling in the pit of my stomach, and it isn't my dizziness. Why does that name seem so familiar? Again, a vision of green eyes.  
  
"We expect they somehow got to you and pulled your soul from your body. Do you remember?"  
  
I shake my head. I somehow don't recollect.  
  
"Well, that's what must've happened. I've never seen a Heartless like you before. You look too human. Aren't you?"  
  
I nod.then shake my head. I can't understand. What is a Heartless? What is human? I see myself as a warrior repaying a debt. That must be what she's asking.  
  
"I'm a warrior. I'm also repaying a debt. So I need the Keyblade." I attempt to stand, but fall from vertigo. I lie on the bed, miserable.  
  
"Hold it, tiger. First off, you're trying to take that sword to a group of people who don't give half a crud about you. So you're better off just forgetting about them. Try to trust us. We can help you." She smiles.  
  
I lean up and grab her collar.  
  
"There's.a boy. I don't remember who he is, but I just know that I'm supposed to be with him. I let him down somehow. Can you help me find him?" I ask desperately.  
  
She looks surprised.  
  
"We can try.but there are so many worlds. Can you tell me where you're from?" Yuffie asks.  
  
I try to think, still holding fast to her collar.  
  
".there was.endless water. So much green. And.a lightning bolt. I had.so much pain. A mark-."  
  
I start clawing at my armor. The breastplate comes off and I pull off the top of the bodysuit below. A cut top is on, but a huge lightning scar in the shape of an outline of a heart is on my chest. Yuffie and Sora gasp. Leon looks on with interest.  
  
I grab my shoulder and look over it. The mark is on my back, too.  
  
"Then they have a deeper hold on you than I thought," Leon comments.  
  
Yuffie and Sora look over.  
  
"What do you mean, Squall?" she asks him.  
  
"Not only do they hold her soul, but they also have a hold on her body. She belongs to them. There's almost nothing we can do."  
  
I can't take it anymore.  
  
"NO! I won't be owned! This mark came from a storm from my world! It still knows me! And I'm going to go back! I will not be owned!!!"  
  
I pull my things on and get up. Fighting nausea and headache, I stagger across the room and grab the hilt of my sword, which leans against the door. I try to grab the handle and turn it, but I collapse, unconscious. 


	5. Chapter 5

Again, the world is haze. My eyes adjust slowly, and I look around. It's the same room. Someone nearby hums slowly. The tune is familiar.  
  
I lean up. A black-haired boy sits in a chair near my bed. He stares at his lap.  
  
A name comes to me.  
  
"D-Diko?" I ask to the sound.  
  
His head turns. He looks confused.  
  
"Who's Diko? I'm Sora, remember?" The face melts away into brown hair and the newer features. I sigh and relax.  
  
"Forget it. I thought.I though I saw someone else." I'm disappointed; something told me that I could figure out my past from that "Diko" person.  
  
"Who's Diko?" he asks.  
  
"I don't remember. I think I knew him."  
  
Leon enters and briefly smiles. "Feeling better?"  
  
I nod, confused.  
  
"Yuffie gave you some Crystal Heart potion. It opens you up for a little bit to new information that you'll accept without a fight. She told you we're your friends and the Masters are enemies. That's all, though."  
  
I grin and lie back. The aforesaid ninja enters as well and they lift me to my feet. Suddenly, I'm completely awake and strong. It's like being reborn.  
  
"Can we go out?" I ask.  
  
She giggles and nods. "Sure! But just stay in the First District. It's not safe in the other two, especially for you so soon."  
  
"Why's that?"  
  
"The Heartless are there. If they get a hold of you this early, they'll take you deeper and we'll never be able to save you. You'll be consumed.like Sora's friend Riku was."  
  
There is a moment of silence.  
  
"Riku?" I ask.  
  
Sora's face is grim. "He was a guy.who used to be my friend."  
  
Yuffie is also downcast. "But he wanted so much, so fast. The Masters found him, and gave him power, like you. He was drawn so deep into them that eventually Sora had to face him in battle. Their friendship meant nothing to Riku any longer. From then on out it was just to gain power."  
  
I don't say anything.  
  
"Hey, I've got a better idea. Let's try and find your world! There's a map of the known worlds in the Sorcerer's Shop! We can see if it's up for viewing!" Yuffie exclaims.  
  
"Sure!"  
  
I pack up my things (including my Wing Sword, as I call it) and follow her outside. The town is all a-bustle with activity. People haggling over the prices of clothes, knick-knacks, and fruits I couldn't even name. Someone was arguing the value of a huge clear bottle of deep red liquid I presumed to be blood.  
  
"Here."  
  
All the while, I realize we'd been moving. We were now in front of a huge green and blue door in the side of a building. Yuffie opens the door and we walk in.  
  
The tinkling of bells and crystal mixed with the heavy, flowery-scented smoke and haunting sound of sitars make for a very mystical environment. We make our way over to a huge, darkened leather trunk in the corner set up as a checkout. An ancient cash register sits on it, and an equally old pile of cloth behind it.  
  
"Sir? Sir!" Yuffie calls and pokes the pile of cloth. Much to my surprise, the bundle moves and groans!  
  
"Yes, yes, what is it?" a bedraggled beard and mustache appear from within, and are followed by two twinkling, sky-blue eyes. The beard twitches when the man speaks.  
  
"How can I help you two young ladies today?" he asks Yuffie. Suddenly, he stares straight at me. I'm surprised and step back. The eyes are so piercing, so very young. They seem out of place in this shop full of eerie whatnots and random items.  
  
"I know what you are, child. But, unlike so many in this town, I don't hold it against you. Say a curse for me to those Masters." He winks, and I'm even more embarrassed.  
  
"We wanted to know if the Worlds Map can be viewed." Yuffie draws the attention to herself.  
  
"Hmm? Oh, sorry, no. You either pay for it or keep guessing. Can't be letting just anyone see it these days." Again, he winks at me.  
  
"Argh. Ok, here's.fifty.one hundred.five hundred munnys. Where is it?" Yuffie counts out dozens of yellow balls out of her pocket and places them on the table.  
  
The man sighs and sweeps the balls into a sack, which he then places under the counter. I wonder what use the cash register is.  
  
He turns to pull down from the wall a covered rectangle. He hands it over to Yuffie with a small smile and waves as we leave.  
  
"Have a nice time, girls. And say hello to the two boys as well!" 


	6. Chapter 6

I nudge Yuffie as we head back to the hotel.  
  
"How did he know?"  
  
She shakes her head for a second. "About what? Oh! About Sora and Squall? He does that sometimes. He can know everything if he likes. But." Here she sighs. "He's just too tired these days."  
  
"Squall? Don't you mean Leon?"  
  
"Oh, he doesn't care. He just uses that name around here to keep everyone from knowing that he's the famous Squall, the Battle Master! He's amazing, you should see him fight!" she raves.  
  
"Believe me," I say dryly. "I've seen him."  
  
"Oh yeah."  
  
***  
  
We reach the Hotel again and enter.but the men are nowhere to be seen.  
  
"Where did they go?" I ask.  
  
"Probably out to the Second District. They're trying to clear out the Heartless there, but I keep telling them that they'll never be able to do it."  
  
"I want to fight."  
  
She stares at me like I'm some sort of ghost.  
  
"Are you crazy?!" she demands. "If you go out there, they'll get back into your soul! And you'll be lost!"  
  
"I can take it!" I proclaim, and start towards the door.  
  
"Oh no you don't!" she states. Whipping out one foot, she sends me crashing to the floor with one blow.  
  
"Why not?! If I think I can do it, then I can! What's keeping you from letting me?!"  
  
"Common sense! We're trying to save you, dope! The Heartless can tell you're here. But they can't reach you if you're nowhere near them. So for once, do what I ask you and stay here!"  
  
I sit on the bed, confused. Why couldn't I go? I wanted to help them, not hinder them! If I could be one more fighting hand, wouldn't that make it worth their while to "save" me?  
  
"I'm going to get the boys. You stay right here, you understand? If you leave, you'll be worse than dead, understand?" Yuffie asks.  
  
I nod my head.  
  
She seems to be content with that, and walks out. I battle with my feelings for a few minutes.and decide to go fight. My hand is aching to wield my sword.  
  
I grab it from its leaning position against the wall and throw on my armor. Tying up my hair, I barge out, leaving an empty room and a swinging door. 


	7. Chapter 7

When I reach the Second District, there is chaos everywhere. Demonic little shadows and armored creatures run everywhere, attacking a group of three people below.Sora, Yuffie, and Leon! They're being beaten terribly, and from what I can gather, they won't last too much longer.  
  
With a fierce battle cry, I plunge into the lane below. Slashing my sword about, I break through their offensive line and join the three fighters.  
  
"You idiot! I told you to stay in the room!" Yuffie screams.  
  
"And what if I had?! You'd be dead now!" I retort, holding off little lightning-shooting bugs.  
  
"Better us dead than you on their side!" Leon yells above the fury. His incredible Gunblade swipes back and forth, slashing the creatures in two, right and left.  
  
As the onslaught continues, my mind goes numb. At a point, I'm not sure I'm even fighting anymore, although I can see the spillage of black blood on gray stones. My sword is covered in it, and rivulets are running down my arms.  
  
The demons start to disperse. But one strange armored one grabs a hold on my head. His two hands are placed above my ears, and I can feet an intense beating now in my brain.  
  
Everything goes black. I have killed hundreds of the Heartless, but now I realize I should stop. I see three large red spots in the blackness of my vision, and I start towards them.  
  
Voices begin yelling in my ears, but nothing reaches me. Muffled moans and cries aren't registered.  
  
I feel a severe pain in my hand, but the feeling is deleted.again and again. I feel warm blood spill over me and splatter all over my face. But I keep going.until a hard blow to the head knocks me unconscious.  
  
Nothing.I see nothing.  
  
My eyes can't focus. They hurt.  
  
My pupils screw up in pain as light floods my line of vision. I realize someone is standing over me now.  
  
"You awake?" they ask.  
  
I start to focus in on a shape. Long, brown hair. Dark face. Leon.  
  
I try to nod, but the pain stops me. I groan in misery as a dull throbbing starts up in my head again.  
  
"Do you realize what you've done?" Leon berates me. "Now that the Heartless have a tag on your mind, they can come at any time, from any place. We'll have to move."  
  
I stare up at him. Yuffie's voice sounds in the room.  
  
"But where to, Squall? It would be crazy to make a jump with her in this state. And to find a gummi ship.this late in the year? With a warp drive incapable of exploding as soon as we enter hyperspace?! You're insane! We don't have enough munny.or time!"  
  
"Then we'll have to make ends meet! Yuffie, we can pay enough money to rent a ship. But we have to do it now. If the Heartless show up, we won't be able to stand up against them."  
  
"But where in the universe could we ever find sanctuary from them?!" Yuffie's voice is broken and worried.  
  
Leon replies as grim and unemotional as he can answer.  
  
"Mickey's castle." 


	8. Chapter 8

"But there's no gate to there!"  
  
"Then we'll be the first to make one."  
  
"You're talking about a jump! That's.that's.there isn't even a word for how ludicrous that is! We could come out anywhere!!! Even the End of the World! Or worse yet.the Heartless' home world! What then, I ask you?! The odds of coming out at Mickey's castle are.billions to one!"  
  
"Listen Yuffie, I know it sounds crazy. But I met someone on the street who'll pay money for someone to test a prototype navigator. They think they've found a way to navigate in hyperspace. All we need to do is report back whenever to say if it worked or not."  
  
"And who might this godsend be?"  
  
"One of the kapos. He's a bit of an outcast, but I think his idea could work."  
  
I sit up then. I'm tired of listening and not helping.  
  
"Listen.I'm sorry I did that. It was stupid of me," I apologize.  
  
Leon turns to me and bends down on one knee, taking my hand in his.  
  
"Kiru, it wasn't your fault. You acted bravely, even though it was a bit blindly. We're grateful for your help. What you did helped up to do something we thought we could never do!"  
  
"What's that?" I ask.  
  
"We cleared the Second District of all Heartless! The sheer shock of having one of their own attack its own team must have scared them off. Now it's safe for the townsfolk to live there again!" he exclaims.  
  
I nod, then seem puzzled.  
  
"How do you know my name? I don't think I ever told it to you."  
  
"The Crystal Heart potion a long while back. You seem to black out an awful lot," Sora comments. It's the first time he's said anything for awhile now.  
  
"Well, now that it's settled that we're going to make this insane jump to Mickey's palace, I suppose we'd better map out the course." Yuffie pulls out the map that we had bought together. It seems so long ago that we entered that store.  
  
She unwraps it and places the framed picture on the table. We gather around and look in wonder at all the worlds it describes.  
  
"Look!" Sora exclaims. "Here's a jungle planet.and some weird garden planet.and this one looks really creepy! What's with the jack-o-lantern?"  
  
Yuffie brushes off his comments. "We're looking for Traverse Town and Mickey's castle. Keep your mind on the goods, Sora."  
  
We quickly find both points.and are astonishingly amazed at how close they are! It seems that if a pathway existed between the two - so says Yuffie - that it would only take a ten-minute trip to reach either point from the opposite starting world.  
  
"OK, so all I have to do is go accept that navigator and rent a gummi ship. Easy said, easy done." Leon walks out to retrieve both items.  
  
Yuffie watches him go and then turns to me.  
  
"What do you say we search for your home world, Kiru?"  
  
I nod in agreement and we begin scouring the map for any sign of a water planet.  
  
Yuffie points out a small blueish dot on the map and looks at the key.  
  
" 'This is the past sight of the Destiny Islands, now destroyed'," she reads off. "Did your planet explode when you left it?" she asks me.  
  
Sora pipes up sadly. "No.mine did. That was my world."  
  
"Oh." Yuffie and I are silent for a moment, then resume looking.  
  
"Here's something promising," Sora states, pointing at a watery blue planet with one small green dot in the middle.  
  
" 'Riverfall Island'," he reads. " 'A tropical world consisting of a single island in the middle of an entire planet of water. The "Riverides" there are said to resemble humans; they have a tanned exterior with alter- colored eyes and dark hair. Known for their curiosity and energetic disposition. No known Heartless'."  
  
The description jogs something in my brain. Green, sparkling eyes again, and black, spiky hair. Diko, I think. That's the boy I'm always thinking of.  
  
" 'Alter-colored eyes'?" Sora inquires.  
  
"Strangely colored. Not brown, blue or green. Usually other colors of the rainbow, like orange, yellow, red-."  
  
"Or purple?" Sora comments, looking at me.  
  
Yuffie examines my eyes.  
  
"Now that you mention it.I've never seen anyone with purple irises before.and I've seen a lot of strange folk."  
  
"Are they really that strange?" I ask, sort of embarrassed.  
  
She quickly takes it back. 'Oh no! They're just.unique.that's all!" she grins, unsure.  
  
I shuffle my feet. 


	9. Chapter 9

"Hey, let's go see if Leon is ready!" Sora suggests.  
  
"Great idea, Sora! Let's go to the First District's square." Yuffie opens the door and leads the way out.  
  
We catch up to Leon as he is closing the deal with a strange, fuzzy kapo. The little creature is wearing huge, thick-lensed spectacles and a funny little plaid tie. He nods and giggles joyously and toddles off as Leon looks over a colorful little block in his hand.  
  
"Is that the gummi?" Yuffie asks.  
  
"Yes. He paid us a couple hundred munnys just for taking it and says all we have to do is attach it to the navigation system," he responds.  
  
I follow the three out to a huge lot where it looks like hundreds of strange, multicolored ships are parked, awaiting their owners. Leon leads the way to one of the most dilapidated vehicles in the area, and I cannot help but misunderstand.  
  
"Didn't you say we'd be taking a ship?" I inquire.  
  
"Yes, a gummi ship. It's a spaceship," Yuffie points out.  
  
I look at her in a manner that's less than flattering. "Spaceship?" I ask skeptically.  
  
"Oh! You have no idea, do you? Well, it's a kind of.um.ship.that can fly through the air and through space. Understand?" she tries to explain.  
  
"Not really. But I'll take your word for it."  
  
We climb in and buckle into some rather uncomfortable seats with bulging areas and metal springs jutting from the material.  
  
"I told you it would be less than designer," Leon states and he warms up the vessel.  
  
A few sputtering noises and the ship seems to die down.  
  
After a few seconds, Yuffie turns to Leon. "You want I should get out and push?"  
  
Suddenly, a huge jolt throws us all back and the force drives the entire gummi ship far into the air. I look out a window quickly to watch the ground get farther and farther away. We were flying!  
  
I couldn't believe it! I was in a box that had the capability of carrying almost anything into space! The sensation was thrilling!  
  
"Alright, everyone, I'm gonna trigger the Navi-G piece! Hold on.!" Leon reaches forward and slaps a button, and I only have time to scream in terror as, outside the clear Plexi-glass portal, a huge vortex appears and sucks us within. 


End file.
